United Way of Massachusetts Bay Vice President, Corporate Philanthropy

Positively Partners•Boston, MA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

United Way of Massachusetts Bay exists to build more equitable communities, together. With over 85 years of local impact in eastern Massachusetts, we work with and for our communities to build economic prosperity and enable everyone–across races and ethnicities–to share in the knowledge, wealth and resources available. We believe that the key to unlocking opportunity is uniting people, and we bring together individuals, community leaders, corporate partners, legislators and organizations to build a powerful engine of change. United Way plays a role few organizations can: we convene, invest, advocate, and drive systems change. We target efforts in the following areas: (1) quality, affordable childcare and out-of-school time care, (2) educational and career pathways for youth and young adults, (3) safe and stable housing, and (4) wealth building and financial inclusion. United Way currently invests over $45 million annually in a portfolio of over 300 community-based organizations and spearheads public policy initiatives tackling the most pressing community issues, making a direct and sustained difference in the lives of individuals. This is a moment of momentum: under new organizational and development leadership, United Way of Massachusetts Bay exceeded its revenue budget this year for the first time in five years, and is reimagining how it partners with the corporate community. We offer excellent benefits including a BCBS PPO plan, dental, 401k retirement savings with company match and a discretionary employer base contribution. Our PTO policy offers summer hours and a three-day closure for Thanksgiving. We also offer a hybrid work schedule, with a minimum of 2 fixed days in office per week. Additional in person work will be required based on the needs of the position and the organization. POSITION OVERVIEW The Vice President, Corporate Philanthropy serves as a leader on the Development Team, responsible for setting and executing a comprehensive corporate engagement and revenue strategy. In partnership with the Chief Development Officer, this role will oversee all aspects of corporate philanthropy, including corporate giving, workplace campaigns, employee engagement and volunteering, corporate foundations (in partnership with the Institutional Giving team), and sector-based fundraising initiatives. This is a build opportunity. The VP will shape and grow their own team — one corporate relations manager is in place today, and the budget is approved to hire a second immediately — and will define how corporate philanthropy operates at United Way going forward. The VP works cross-functionally with Individual Giving, Grants, Community Impact, Communications, and Public Affairs to ensure that corporate partnerships are integrated, strategic, and aligned with organizational priorities, and serves as a member of United Way’s newly reimagined extended leadership team of VPs from across the organization. This role also serves as the primary leader for industry and sector-based corporate engagement, including oversight of volunteer fundraising committees such as Real Estate, Private Equity/Venture Capital, and other priority sectors. The Vice President will steward and represent the organization externally as a trusted partner to the corporate community. Corporate philanthropy is changing, and United Way is changing with it. The Vice President will lead that evolution — ensuring corporate partnerships move beyond transactional giving to become strategic, long-term investments in United Way’s work as a convener, investor, and advocate for systems change. The right candidate is energized by fundraising for impact at that level: not direct service, but the mobilizing role that United Way uniquely plays across eastern Massachusetts. This role requires a leader with strong change management instincts and creativity, and will be critical to achieving ambitious revenue goals and positioning United Way of Massachusetts Bay as a partner of choice in a competitive philanthropic landscape.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant professional experience in corporate philanthropy, corporate partnerships, CSR, business development, fundraising, or related consulting
Demonstrated success cultivating, securing, and stewarding revenue-generating corporate partnerships; experience with gifts or sponsorships in the six-figure range strongly preferred.
Experience designing and executing integrated corporate engagement strategies, including philanthropy, employee engagement, and sponsorship.
Experience managing, coaching, or mentoring team members, and readiness to build and lead a team.
Evidence of strategic and creative thinking: the ability to treat "no" as the start of a conversation, find new paths forward, and contribute to strategy development — not just execution.
Strong change management skills and comfort operating in an evolving organization and an evolving field.
Genuine excitement about fundraising for systems change: United Way’s role as a convener, investor, advocate, and mobilizer — and the ability to build a compelling narrative around it.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and to the mission of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

Nice To Haves

BS/BA degree preferred, not required.

Responsibilities

Spearhead the organization’s corporate philanthropy strategy, driving initiatives such as corporate gifts, workplace giving, event sponsorships, employee engagement, and sector-specific programs to maximize impact.
Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer to set ambitious annual and 24-month revenue targets that support both the stabilization of corporate dollars and accelerate organizational success.
Design and implement comprehensive plans centered on cultivating, retaining, and expanding relationships with corporate partners to ensure sustained growth and loyalty.
Lead with a change management mindset — internally, as United Way evolves how it works, and externally, as corporate partners rethink their own philanthropy models.
Oversee a portfolio of key corporate partners, fostering deep relationships that align with organizational mission.
Lead the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of high-value, multi-year corporate partnerships, elevating United Way’s profile as a trusted and strategic philanthropic partner.
Partner closely with events and development systems colleagues on corporate sponsorship strategy, including United Way’s signature Thanksgiving Project.
Provide refreshed strategy and oversight for workplace giving campaigns, charting future directions and assessing the impact of campaign structures.
Lead the re-messaging of workplace campaigns with corporate partners: celebrating campaigns as a vehicle for employee philanthropy while cultivating direct, undesignated investment in United Way’s mission and systems-change work.
Partner with the individual giving team to actively engage donors within each workplace initiative, and expand opportunities for engagement and education among participating companies to deepen their commitment and stewardship.
Lead sector-focused initiatives, including Real Estate, Private Equity/Venture Capital, and other priority industries (yet to be identified and cultivated).
Manage a team to staff and support senior volunteer committees and advisory groups, leveraging these leaders as champions and connectors for United Way.
Build a creative menu of corporate volunteer engagement, with an emphasis on strategic, skills-based opportunities that advance United Way’s work alongside signature hands-on moments.
Build, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing corporate philanthropy team with clear goals, accountability, and a culture of collaboration — including hiring a new corporate relations manager in the near term.
Align team structure, portfolios, and resources to maximize impact and revenue.
Collaborate closely with Individual Giving, Grants, Communications and Public Affairs, and Community Impact teams, including deep partnership with the VPs leading each impact area.